One of the big expenses in making dinner is the cost of meat! One great way to save is to have one night of a meatless dinner (or more nights if you can). There are also many great vegetarian recipes out there now; it should be easy to find something your family will love.
Here are some recipes to try:
7-layer Meatless Tortilla Pie: I think that looks pretty kid-friendly/picky eater friendly.
Sweet Potato Burritos: interesting, seems to get good reviews!
Roasted Vegetables: would be a great side dish any night of the week.
Spicy Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup: not vegetarian, but can be just be using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
Italian Vegetable Soup: sounds YUMMY (not vegetarian); I'm putting this on my to-make list for sure. I love soup!
and finally, my favorite soup, Minestrone Soup! I think this paired with a salad would make an amazing dinner.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday Freebies
Want to try out a new toothpaste? Aquafresh is offering a sample of their Extreme Clean toothpaste for you to try. (this is a printable coupon, so be sure to have a printer hooked up to your computer before requesting!)
Gooseberry Patch is offering a free cookbook that features recipes using raisins and dried fruits.
Jiffy Mix is offering a cookbook that will give you ideas on using their product in different recipes.
How about a free sample of Stetson Cologne? :o)
Gooseberry Patch is offering a free cookbook that features recipes using raisins and dried fruits.
Jiffy Mix is offering a cookbook that will give you ideas on using their product in different recipes.
How about a free sample of Stetson Cologne? :o)
Monday, March 16, 2009
CVS & WGs 3/15
Walgreens3 Reach toothbrush pkgs 3/$9, earn 6 RR (3 1.00 MC) FREE after coupons and RR
Colgate Advance toothpaste 3.49 (2.50 IVC coupon, 1.50 MC) .51 money-maker
Maalox chewable, clearance 2.79 (2.00 IVC coupon, 1.00 MC) .21 money-maker
Paid with 10.00 in coupons, 2 RR from yesterday, and $3.11 OOP, earned 6 RR to spend later, so I actually MADE 2.89 on this deal.
I am really bad at Walgreens shopping. I find it so much harder to do than CVS because you have the IVCs (instant value coupon) that are in the rebate book, coupons in the sales ad, monthly rebates, AND register rewards. It makes my head hurt. Here is an article explaining all of those from Wags to Riches, and a little more on it at Money-Saving Mom.
CVS:Irish Spring Body Wash 4.99, get 4.99 ECBs (.50 MC from yesterday's paper) .50 money-maker
Aveeno Shave Gel 4.99, get 2 ECBs (2.00 printable coupon)
2 Rolaids at 2.19 each (4.00/2 MC)
Theraful 5.99, get 2.00 ECBs (2.00 CVS coupon, 2.00 MC) .01 money-maker
Planner, clearance, .19
Total: .04 OOP (10.50 in coupons, 10 ECBs), got 9 ECBs back for next week
If you are new to CVS shopping, you can read up on the how-to at Deal Seeking Mom. or "Cent"sible Sawyer. It takes a few months doing it to learn all the tricks, but I keep getting better as time goes on!
Menu Plan 3/16/09
Monday: Hopefully my anniversary dinner at Taste of Texas, if not, one of the meals below and anniversary dinner will be Tues or WedTuesday: pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries
Wednesday: grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, crescent rolls
Thursday: BBQ grilled chicken salad
Friday: breakfast for dinner (YUM)
Saturday: homemade pizza
This week, Meal Plan Monday is being hosted at another great blog you might want to check out, $5 dinners!
Gorilla Glue - Register for newlsetter and receive free samples, savings offers and valuable tips.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Saturday Savings: CVS & Walgreens
This was my CVS trip for today. I paid .33 OOP for all of this and got 12 ECBs back to spend next week! 
I have not yet figured out how to get a low OOP at Walgreens. This trip cost me 4.77 and I got 2 RR to spend later. Not bad considering I needed coffee creamer and would have spent $4 on it at the store anyway. Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday Freebies.... YAY!
Here are some freebies again this week!
If you are a fan of Diet Dr. Pepper, be sure you request your coupon for a free 2-Liter or 20oz bottle!
Metamucil is offering samples of their pink lemonade and berry burst flavors. I am not a fan of fiber products, but I think I'll give this one a try!
If you have a laundry care tip to share, Surf will send you a sample of their detergent if you share it and they pick it for their website.
If you know someone who wears a hearing aid, Energizer is giving away batteries to show off their new packaging.
And finally, Total is giving away a sample of their cereal. I love most of their products, so give them a try!
If you are a fan of Diet Dr. Pepper, be sure you request your coupon for a free 2-Liter or 20oz bottle!
Metamucil is offering samples of their pink lemonade and berry burst flavors. I am not a fan of fiber products, but I think I'll give this one a try!
If you have a laundry care tip to share, Surf will send you a sample of their detergent if you share it and they pick it for their website.
If you know someone who wears a hearing aid, Energizer is giving away batteries to show off their new packaging.
And finally, Total is giving away a sample of their cereal. I love most of their products, so give them a try!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Being frugal AND healthy!
I have heard people using the excuse "It's too expensive to eat healthy" and I wanted to do a post on how UNtrue that can be.
On my Target trip today I purchased Mott's Natural Applesauce for .22 a six-pack, Kashi bars for .29 a box, and broccoli and cauliflower for .50 each. I think that's pretty cheap AND healthy!
You will need to have a printer to print out some online coupons in order to do it. Target.com has grocery coupons listed on their website every week for different products. I had printed out coupons for 1.00 off each of the items I had listed. In addition to the Target coupon, you can also use a manufacturers coupon.
Motts: 1.76 each, used 1.oo Target printable, .55 Mott's printable
**note: I did not have any clipped coupons for Motts, but I always like to check company websites for printable coupons before I go shopping. I have found several coupons that way!
Kashi: 3.29 each, used 1.00 Target printable, 2.00 Kashi printable (those are no longer available, but you can get a free Kashi entree coupon mailed to you!)
Broccoli, Cauliflower: 1.50 each, used 1.00 Target printable
A great website that lists all the hot deals at stores all around the country is www.hotcouponworld.com If you register there, they do have all the current Target coupons on there and you can print as many of them as you want!
On my Target trip today I purchased Mott's Natural Applesauce for .22 a six-pack, Kashi bars for .29 a box, and broccoli and cauliflower for .50 each. I think that's pretty cheap AND healthy!
You will need to have a printer to print out some online coupons in order to do it. Target.com has grocery coupons listed on their website every week for different products. I had printed out coupons for 1.00 off each of the items I had listed. In addition to the Target coupon, you can also use a manufacturers coupon.
Motts: 1.76 each, used 1.oo Target printable, .55 Mott's printable
**note: I did not have any clipped coupons for Motts, but I always like to check company websites for printable coupons before I go shopping. I have found several coupons that way!
Kashi: 3.29 each, used 1.00 Target printable, 2.00 Kashi printable (those are no longer available, but you can get a free Kashi entree coupon mailed to you!)
Broccoli, Cauliflower: 1.50 each, used 1.00 Target printable
A great website that lists all the hot deals at stores all around the country is www.hotcouponworld.com If you register there, they do have all the current Target coupons on there and you can print as many of them as you want!
Thursday Thrifty Tip
This morning I have been searching for a generator. We definitely want to purchase one before the next hurricane season starts because life without one after Ike was not good. I have spent too much time stocking up for freezers to lose it all again! I love coupons and discounts, so of course I don't want to pay full price for one! My solution to that is searching sites like Craigslist, and if you are a "local", Kingwood Yard Sales. I have already found several that are still in the box, but are being sold for a few hundred dollars cheaper than buying new! I have used Ebay to get a few things at a discount, but it is so easy to get caught up in the fun of outbidding someone and end up paying more than you planned. :o) Always be on the lookout for ways to get around paying full price! I think the bartering system is quickly making its way back so start making a list of your skills and look for ways to trade them for things you need!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
HUGGIES!!!
If you use Huggies and have a printer, be sure to click on the blue coupons.com bar over on the right side of my blog. They currently have one coupon for 3.00 off and another for 5.00 off! Walgreens is having a great sale on them this week, so use those coupons there and save even more!
Wednesday Recipe: Baked Ziti
We had a great dinner tonight! I love pasta and baked ziti is one of my very favorite dishes. Here's the recipe I used:
1/2 box Barilla Plus penne pasta, cooked (I know, but I didn't see ziti)
1 jar Ragu spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled
8 oz ricotta cheese
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
Mix first 5 ingredients together. Top with 2oz shredded mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread!
It is a very easy recipe to change; you can double it, substitute different pastas or sauces, or add more cheese or meat (Italian sausage would be great in it)! Allrecipes.com has so many recipes you can search for and adapt; I use it all the time! Here is a baked ziti recipe from there that sounds YUM!
I just found another Betty Crocker newsletter that is giving away a freebie when you sign up! Click below to join and get your sample of the very delicious warm delights!
1/2 box Barilla Plus penne pasta, cooked (I know, but I didn't see ziti)
1 jar Ragu spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled
8 oz ricotta cheese
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
Mix first 5 ingredients together. Top with 2oz shredded mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread!
It is a very easy recipe to change; you can double it, substitute different pastas or sauces, or add more cheese or meat (Italian sausage would be great in it)! Allrecipes.com has so many recipes you can search for and adapt; I use it all the time! Here is a baked ziti recipe from there that sounds YUM!
I just found another Betty Crocker newsletter that is giving away a freebie when you sign up! Click below to join and get your sample of the very delicious warm delights!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday Freebies!
It's Tuesday! Time for some freebies!
If you are looking for a formula that is cheaper than the big brands, maybe request this sample of the Wal-Mart store brand and try it out and see if it works for you!
Nature's Bounty is offering a sample and coupon for their Fish Oil Supplements. They are supposed to have some positive effects on the the body, so why not try it out...free!
The Dove shampoo offer is still up and running, so if you haven't requested it yet, go! I love Dove's products and I use these samples for trips or to put out for guests!
If you are looking for a formula that is cheaper than the big brands, maybe request this sample of the Wal-Mart store brand and try it out and see if it works for you!
Nature's Bounty is offering a sample and coupon for their Fish Oil Supplements. They are supposed to have some positive effects on the the body, so why not try it out...free!
The Dove shampoo offer is still up and running, so if you haven't requested it yet, go! I love Dove's products and I use these samples for trips or to put out for guests!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: 3/9
Jason is working OT this week, so with him only being home tonight and Wednesday night, I am not planning out a menu. I do want to make something easy that he can take for lunch, but I haven't decided what that is yet. We had spaghetti tonight, and I'm going to try to make baked ziti on Wednesday for our family dinner night. I got a recipe from the Kroger coupon printer and I am going to make it too! I'll share that instead of a menu!
Polynesian Sunshine Pie
Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) Dole Mandarin Oranges
1 graham cracker crust
1 banana, sliced
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip, thawed
2/3 cup flake coconut, toasted, divided
1 can Dole Tropical Mixed Fruit, drained
1/3 cup apricot jam, melted
Preparation:
Drain oranges; reserve 2 tbsp syrup. Place half of oranges in bottom of crust. Top with half of banana slices; set aside.
Beat cream cheese, reserved syrup, and vanilla until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Stir in 1/3 cup coconut. Spread mixture over fruit in crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Arrange tropical fruit, banana slices, and remaining mandarin oranges over filling. Drizzle jam over fruit. Sprinkle remaining coconut over pie.
Polynesian Sunshine Pie
Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) Dole Mandarin Oranges
1 graham cracker crust
1 banana, sliced
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip, thawed
2/3 cup flake coconut, toasted, divided
1 can Dole Tropical Mixed Fruit, drained
1/3 cup apricot jam, melted
Preparation:
Drain oranges; reserve 2 tbsp syrup. Place half of oranges in bottom of crust. Top with half of banana slices; set aside.
Beat cream cheese, reserved syrup, and vanilla until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Stir in 1/3 cup coconut. Spread mixture over fruit in crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Arrange tropical fruit, banana slices, and remaining mandarin oranges over filling. Drizzle jam over fruit. Sprinkle remaining coconut over pie.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday Recipe meets Thrifty Thursday!
I am behind a day, as usual. I did want to share a recipe that I love and is actually pretty cheap to make if you shop the right way. At one of our local stores, HEB, they have bulk bins where you can purchase spices, grains, granola, and tons of other things. I LOVE buying my spices there. A bottle of spices in the the spice aisle will probably cost you $5 and up and you might just need a teaspoon for one recipe. If you find a store with the bulk option, you can buy as little or as much as you want! I buy 10 cents worth of some spices because that's all I need. It is a great way to make those higher end recipes with lots of ingredients without all the cost!
This BBQ sauce has a quite a few spices and salts, but buying the spices from the bulk bins and using other ingredients that you probably already have make for a cheap and GOOD! sauce.
Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
Thick, tomato-rich Kansas City sauces are sweeter than those from other barbecue regions. While commercial renditions can overdo the sugar, this version (inspired by the scrumptious Gates Original) balances sweet with spice.
This recipe goes with KC-Style Potato Salad, Kansas City Barbecued Chicken
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
3/4 teaspoon ground celery seed
1/2 teaspoon smoked salt (such as McCormick)
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)
CALORIES 31 (3% from fat); FAT 0.1g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.8g; SODIUM 198mg; PROTEIN 0.3g; FIBER 0.2g Cooking Light, JULY 2007
I have to say that I hate potato salad, but the one that uses this recipe is very different and I love it!
This BBQ sauce has a quite a few spices and salts, but buying the spices from the bulk bins and using other ingredients that you probably already have make for a cheap and GOOD! sauce.
Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
Thick, tomato-rich Kansas City sauces are sweeter than those from other barbecue regions. While commercial renditions can overdo the sugar, this version (inspired by the scrumptious Gates Original) balances sweet with spice.
This recipe goes with KC-Style Potato Salad, Kansas City Barbecued Chicken
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
3/4 teaspoon ground celery seed
1/2 teaspoon smoked salt (such as McCormick)
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)
CALORIES 31 (3% from fat); FAT 0.1g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.8g; SODIUM 198mg; PROTEIN 0.3g; FIBER 0.2g Cooking Light, JULY 2007
I have to say that I hate potato salad, but the one that uses this recipe is very different and I love it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday Freebies!
My favorite day of the week!
Here are some freebies and coupons for you today:
Start Making Choices has a little starter kit to help us all get started eating a little healthier. It comes with a sample of popcorn, as well as some coupons to use on other products!
I can't remember if I posted this one already, but it is so good that it needs to be posted again anyway. Quaker has some amazing new granola bars that are SO yummy. I got mine in the mail yesterday and it came with a $1 MC too! They also have an offer to sample their rice snacks; not quite as good, but still not a bad snack.
Kashi is offering a coupon for a free frozen entree! That's close to a $4 value, so be sure to request that one.
For your little ones, Earth's Best has coupon offers if you sign up for their newsletter.
Here are some freebies and coupons for you today:
Start Making Choices has a little starter kit to help us all get started eating a little healthier. It comes with a sample of popcorn, as well as some coupons to use on other products!
I can't remember if I posted this one already, but it is so good that it needs to be posted again anyway. Quaker has some amazing new granola bars that are SO yummy. I got mine in the mail yesterday and it came with a $1 MC too! They also have an offer to sample their rice snacks; not quite as good, but still not a bad snack.
Kashi is offering a coupon for a free frozen entree! That's close to a $4 value, so be sure to request that one.
For your little ones, Earth's Best has coupon offers if you sign up for their newsletter.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Similac Savings
If you have a little one, you know how important it is to save on formula and get feeding ideas! Sign up for Similac Strong Moms program to get some great savings!
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